Grams and Dawson were together again on Friday, when James Van Der Beek and Mary Beth Peil reunited after Van Der Beek saw Peil in her Tony-nominated role in Broadway's Anastasia. The two actors first met on the set of Dawson's Creek, where Van Der Beek starred as the titular Dawson, while Peil played the role of Jen's grandmother. It seems like they've remained close despite the show ending in 2003, since Van Der Beek captioned his Dawson's Creek reunion Instagram photo with, "The family you make along the way." Go ahead and "aww," you know you want to.
Peil and Van Der Beek are just the latest example of how the Dawson's Creek cast have stuck by one another through the years. At this point, the friendship between Michelle Williams and Busy Philipps is downright legendary. The two played pals on Dawson's Creek, but they've gone on to become the kind of celeb BFFs it's hard not to love — Williams even brought Philipps to the 2017 Oscars as her date for the evening.
In 2016, Van Der Beek and Williams reunited for the first time publicly since the series ended, but it's clear from Williams' 2012 interview with Vulture that they've stayed in touch as well. At the time, she told the site of Van Der Beek, "He has my e-mail! He has my home phone, and my cell phone, so we talk."
Despite the years that have passed since they stopped hanging out at the Creek, the cast is still supporting each other, as evidenced by the adorableness of Van Der Beek gushing over Peil's hit Broadway show.
As Grams, Peil was the only consistent adult presence on the series, and the character took on the role of grandmother to all of Jen's friends. The 77-year-old actor may be best known for her lovable Dawson's Creek character among millennials, but she's been a star of the stage and screen for decades. Her role as Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in Anastasia earned her the second Tony nomination of her career (the first came in 1985 for The King & I). She also had a major role in CBS' The Good Wife.
Seeing her with Van Der Beek again is sure to hit many fans right in the nostalgia bone. Grams was the show's no-nonsense, kick-butt grandma who always dispensed the best advice. Now one of her "grandchildren" is showing her some love back by celebrating the wonderful work she's doing on Broadway. Van Der Beek definitely sounds like a proud grandson in his post as he directs people to go see Anastasia. As he says, Peil isn't on the "'gram," but she is killing it onstage in New York City.
Now that yet another pair of Dawson's Creek favorites have reunited, surely it's time to get the gang back together for a reboot of the series, right? The cast has been open to the idea in the past. Everyone from Katie Holmes to Joshua Jackson has suggested they would be on board if the timing was right, so there's reason to hope that Dawson and his pals could reunite one of these days.
Until then, it's good to know that the cast is still close in real-life, despite how busy their careers are. Seeing Dawson is supporting Grams in her hit play should make Dawson's Creek devotees smile, and the fact that Van Der Beek refers to Peil as "family" is a beautiful bonus. It just goes to show that the Dawson's Creek cast will always be one of TV's very best, and not just because they're the one you grew up with, but because they're just as sincere as the iconic characters they brought to life.
